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Explanations: No. 14658 – Friday, 23 December 2011

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How did you fare with this crossword?

Across 1 Dash for the Spanish, and Irish (4) EL-AN
“The” Spanish (EL) and “the” Irish (AN) for = ELAN: dash. 4 Touchdown sozzled with no ship in sight? (10) LAND-LOCKED
Touchdown sozzled (LAND LOCKED) = LANDLOCKED: with no ship in sight? 9 Shadows a doctor and artist in America (6) U(MB-RA)S
In “America” (U-S) “a doctor” and “artist” (MB-RA) = UMBRAS: shadows. 10 The regular road I ran around in Offaly (8) O(RD-I-NAR)Y
In “Offaly” (O-Y) “road” “I” “ran” around (RD-I-NAR) = ORDINARY: the regular. 11 It’s essential to get a little interest and a large return (8) INT-EGRAL
A little “interest” (INT) and a “large” return (EGRAL) to get = INTEGRAL: it’s essential. 12 Where to note the avenues east of the street? (6) ST-AVES
East of, to the right of, “the street” (ST) the avenues (AVES) = STAVES: where to note, as in a musical stave. 13 Someone flexible enough getting back to Offaly before the soldier (4) YO-GI
Back to Offaly, ‘OY’ (YO) before “the soldier” (GI) getting = YOGI: someone flexible enough. 15 Those copper dots brought about one answer … they’re keepers (10) CU-STOD-I-ANS
Those “copper” (CU) “dots” brought about (STOD) one answer (I ANS) = CUSTODIANS: they’re keepers. 17 The disease is, to the French and the Italian, in pennies (10) P(EST-IL)ENCE
In “pennies” (P-ENCE) “is” to the French and “the” Italian (EST-IL) = PESTILENCE: the disease. 19 There’s nothing in Yorkshire for a northern couple returning (4) N-OWT
A northern (N) couple, ‘two’, returning (OWT) = NOWT: there’s “nothing” in Yorkshire. 20 A state of discipline at a convenience store … thanks! (6) SPAR-TA
At “a convenience store” (SPAR) thanks (TA) = SPARTA: a (city-)state of discipline. 22 Primitive and unruly dive into dinner, say (8) ME(DIEV)AL
Into “dinner, say” (ME-AL) unruly “dive” (DIEV) and = MEDIEVAL: primitive. 25 I’ll go off later and get one by me, to be heard in a mausoleum (4,4) T(I-ME-B)OMB
In “a mausoleum” (T-OMB) “one” by “me” to “be” heard (I-ME-B) and get = TIME BOMB: I’ll go off later. 26 Made it less joining a club with Edward (6) A-BAT-ED
Joining “a club” with “Edward” (A BAT ED) = ABATED: made it less. 27 Appropriate care of the fanciest ensemble (10) CO-NFISCATE
Care of (CO) the “fanciest” ensemble (NFISCATE) = CONFISCATE: appropriate. 28 It goes into Yugoslavia, man? (4) T(IT)O
In “to” (T-O) “it” goes (IT) = TITO: Yugoslavia man?

Down 2 Something flat and sadly solemn, what’s heard at the bullfight (5,4) LEMON S-OLE
Sadly “solemn” (LEMON S) what’s heard at the bullfight (OLE) and = LEMON SOLE: something flat. 3 She used to be called outside, the Cockney Harvey said, for daring (5) NE(RV)E
She used to be called (NE-E) outside “the Cockney Harvey, ‘Arvey’, said” (RV) for = NERVE: daring. 4 He failed to find the Spanish-British queen initially (5) LOS-ER
“The” Spanish (LOS) British Queen initially (ER) to find = LOSER: he failed. 5 Loads take the North’s lead and eat these? (7) N-OODLES
Take the “North’s” lead? (N) loads (OODLES) and = NOODLES: eat these. 6 A verse found in stolen letters that’s very attractive (9) L(ODE)STONE
In “stolen” letters (L-STONE) a verse (ODE) = LODESTONE: that’s very attractive (magnetically). 7 Liquid coating on a virus maybe (9) CONTAGI-ON
Liquid “coating” (CONTAGI) on (ON) = CONTAGION: a virus maybe. 8 Uncanny to see east, over a great lake (5) E-ERIE
East (E) over “a Great Lake” (ERIE) to see = EERIE: uncanny. 14 Fine with later changes for the blank page (9) INTERLEAF
“Fine” with “later” changes, for = INTERLEAF: the blank page. 15 They order the US colours all around Los Angeles by tea, we hear (9) COL(LA-T)ORS
The US “colours” (COL-ORS) all around “Los Angeles” by “tea” we hear (LA-T) = COLLATORS: they order. 16 Not an old and wise New Testament source for paper (9) NEW-SAGE-NT
Not an “old” (NEW) and “wise” (SAGE) New Testament (NT) = NEWSAGENT: source for paper. 18 NB: ringing a French friend, one with a place in southern Africa (7) N(AMI)B-I-A
NB (N-B) ringing “a French ‘friend’” (AMI) “one” with “a” (I-A) = NAMIBIA: place in southern Africa. 21 The upper part played a proper round (5) PRIM-O
A proper (PRIM) round (O) = PRIMO: the upper part played (in a piano duet, for example). 23 Duck a Kildare doctor in the beginning (5) DR-A-KE
“Doctor” in the beginning (DR) a Kildare (A KE) = DRAKE: duck. 24 Elevate the PC key under ‘X’ (5) EX-ALT
Under “X” (EX) the PC key (ALT) = EXALT: elevate.